Arrest made in Calif. bodies in burning car case

MAGALIA, Calif. (AP) — A 72-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and arson in the slayings of three people whose bodies were found inside a burning car in rural Northern California, authorities said on Thursday.

Donald Clark, from the Centerville area of Butte County, was taken into custody after authorities served search warrants on Wednesday, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.

He was being held at Butte County Jail on a little more than $3 million bail. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to an automated jail information system.

The burning green 2000 Acura TL, which had been reported stolen to Sacramento police, was discovered June 13 in Magalia, which is about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Two bodies were in the trunk and a third was in the backseat, sheriff's officials said.

They each had gunshot wounds. They have been tentatively identified as Sacramento residents, but authorities were not releasing their names.

Citing an ongoing investigation, sheriff's spokeswoman Miranda Bowersox declined to release additional details, including a possible motive, although she said authorities don't anticipate making additional arrests.